I have both DCC E-Z Command and DC power supplies. I have both DCC and DC locos.  My On30 stuff is all DCC. When I want to use my HO DC stuff, I can unplug the E-Z Command and plug those wires into the Bachmann DC controller.
My question is about the turnouts - I know I won't be able to operate the turnouts without the DCC hooked up. Will they be ok in the layout if I hook up the DC for the DC trains and operate them manually? It won't mess them up will it?
I know I can run one of the DC locos on address #10.  I've been doing that but I worry about burning them out. I know that I can hook up a DC controller to the E-Z Command. That still has the power to the track all the time.
I figure I can just swap the wires and hook up the DC controller for those locos. That way, when I turn it off, the power to the track is off.

I find myself in need of enlightenment. I lost some of the wheels from my HO John Bull cars. I would like to buy some wheels. I want to know what size to buy.
Here's my issue. I used my digital dial caliper and measured the Bull cars' diameter and they .406". For reference, I also measured standard Bachmann HO freight car wheels. They are .0456" in diameter.
I used this conversion chart to determine what real life size I needed.
https://justin.vashonsd.org/Resources/ScaleConversionCalculator/ScaleConversionCalculator.html
Convert from Scale to Real-life
(For the Bull wheels)
Scale Factor - 87:1
Scale Size - .406 inches
       =    
Real Size - 35.32 inches
-------------------------------------
(For the standard wheels)
Scale Factor - 87:1
Scale Size - .456 inches
       =    
Real Size - 39.67 inches
------------------------------------
That comes out to about 35" for the Bull wheels and about 40" for the standard wheels.
The HO wheels Bachmann sells 33" and 36" wheels. The Bull wheels are smaller than the standard wheels.
The standard wheels would be 40" according the my measurements.
What am I doing wrong in the calculation?
I did make sure I zeroed the caliper before I measured.
---------------------------
The Bull wheels


Standard wheels

   

Any word on when the 18' flat cars will be available? I ordered some from Active Powersports on September 7th. After I paid for them, I got an email saying they were back ordered. I just checked with them yesterday and they said they are still back ordered.

The past couple of days, I had trouble with the Heisler front wheels locking up. It was going fine then front wheels would quit turning. It ran ok in reverse. I just looked it over and spent about twenty minutes pulling some little strands of cotton from around the shafts and u-joints. There was some wedged between the wheels and brake shoes and around the axles. It seems like it's ok now. Another reason to stay away from blankets and batting and anything with loose strands.

I finally got around to putting some foam window weather stripping under E-Z Track. I have most of the Christmas trackage done. It's a very tedious job. I can get about 8 or 9 pieces of track done with a pack of the foam, using three strips under each piece. I put up a couple of loops of track and did a "test" video to compare the two - insulated and uninsulated. I'm pleased with the results and it did make a difference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQLj-UEQXjU&feature=youtu.be

I'm getting kind of a late start on this year's Christmas layout. Still have a couple track adjustments to make. I just received my DCC sound equipped Thomas from the guy who did the work  on it.

Here's an interesting story. I'm sure many of you are familiar with Paul Scoles'  Sn3 Pelican Bay & Railway Navigation Company layout. It was featured in a number of magazines. He also wrote a lot of Model Railroading articles. I knew of his layout and some of the articles. He passed away in 2014.
http://mrr.trains.com/news-reviews/new-products/2014/05/in-memoriam-model-railroad-author-paul-scoles
What I didn't realize was that he was the same Paul Scoles I had met many years ago in the late 80's. Gen. William Westmoreland came to St. Louis back then and six of us St. Louis Vietnam vets got to have lunch with him. With "Westy" were his former aide Gen. Jack Klingenhagen and a guy named Paul Scoles. Paul was a Vietnam Vet and was putting together a documentary called "Vietnam: Call To Duty". Part of the video was to feature an interview with Westy. Over lunch, we talked with Westy, Jack, and Paul about the war.
Little did I know that Model Railroader Paul of recent years was the same Vietnam Vet Paul that I had met back then. I wasn't doing model railroading back then. If I had been, I might have known of his model railroad endeavors.

I have a feeling the majority of us on here can relate to this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CMCroHjm08

Rod Stewart's layout
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-7678617/Rod-Stewarts-secret-hit-track-Veteran-rocker-finally-lets-world-legendary-model-railwa.htm

I just happened to see a picture of Bachmann's On30 side door caboose. I know I'm getting old because I didn't remember Bachmann even making them. I guess I slept through that phase. I'd really like to have one now. Are there any plans to make them again? The only one I could find for sale on line is a yellow one in India for $13,999 rupees. I don't really want yellow.

Are Bachmann wheels different than what NMRA standards call for? I'm just curious.
I saw this article where this guy talks about it in the second to the last paragraph.
http://www.trainweb.org/NarrowGaugeNews/model-wsl.html?fbclid=IwAR3CdUxhhT3wOhjJnhisOm4_JYAPL8rBcuDLxRByzcxnHq7zHvuNMwwdfnA

It's good for a chuckle. Maybe I should put some flour in my cylinders.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8NM-BbaL_4

This is an interesting video that shows them redoing a yard with new switches (the narrator's terminology) and crossings. It shows how they are made and installed. P Way Junction Renewal. I don't know where P Way Junction is. Somewhere in England I presume.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwHKOMq5WzI

In looking for ideas for my turntable, I ran across these drawings for a steam powered turntable. Would something like this have been used in many places? I think Altoona would be a busy place so I could see them keeping a boiler fired up.  In more remote places with very little traffic, in wouldn't really make sense right? They would have to keep the fire going. If not, they would have to get the fire going to heat it up to build up enough steam to get it moving. I don't know how long that would take but it seems like it would be quite a while.

I was looking in an old tool box for my rail nipper and found this Speedi Driver Cleaner that I had long forgotten about. Any thoughts on using these? I know people advise against using abrasive things. This is like using a wire brush on the drivers.

When I wish upon a star, I will wish for Bachmann to come out with shorter passenger cars. I wish for world peace, too so I know the odds of either of those happening is about the same. Bachmann is the only one who makes RTR passenger cars in On30. I've been searching. Everything else out there is craftsman kits.
Even a shorter passenger car body that you could design to drop down over a standard flat car would be ok.
Or, just shorten up a pass car body and put it on a freight car chassis with pass trucks.
It would be hard for me to shorten one and get clean cuts and get the sides mated together so the seams wouldn't show.
It is narrow gauge where smaller is better.

Does anyone know what the dimensions are for Bachmann's O scale covered bridge - #45992? How long are the walls? (The floor with the ramps are one piece and I wouldn't use that.) How wide is it? How tall?
I'm wondering if they are big enough to where I could butt two of them together end to end for my loco shed. I'd probably have to shorten one of them. If they are wide enough, I could raise them up on a foundation if they weren't tall enough.

This is a cool video of them removing a diesel from the track and hauling it over the street to the Colorado Railroad Museum last year. I didn't know that other company made "Snap-Track" in large sizes. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AedZNZyE1oA

I just received my 2019 On30 Annual. Pretty spiffy packaging. In a box, then bubble wrapped, then enclosed in sealed plastic. Thy wanted to make sure it got here in good shape.

The photo caption said "Switch Yard 1913 Chouteau & Pacific". It's in St. Louis.